10-year-old named honorary firefighter after saving step-dad's life

When 10-year-old Jonathan Snipes Jr. saw his stepfather lying on the bottom of the pool that day, he didn't hestitate. He jumped in, pulled him out — and likely saved his life.

"In an emergency it is common to see people panic and not be able to assist the people in need," Barrow County fire Chief John Skinner said in a post on his agency's Facebook page. "To see a 10-year-old boy stay calm and dive in to rescue him is incredible and he deserves to be recognized."

Officials did just that over the weekend, making Snipes an honorary firefighter.

The ceremony took place at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, where the boy's stepfather, Jason Dills, is still recovering from his injuries. According to authorities, Dills was at a friend's house in Bethlehem when he dove into the pool, hit his chin on the bottom and "immediately lost all movement in his body."

Snipes jumped into the pool and pulled Dills to the side. Dills' wife and a friend helped get him out of the pool and Kevin Powers, a Gwinnett County firefighter who was at the cookout, did an initial assessment. Dills was "conscious and alert but had no feeling form the chest down," officials said, and he was rushed to Gwinnett Medical Center.

"On that Saturday in August, Jonathan was the definition a true hero and saved his step fathers life," Skinner, the Barrow fire chief, said. "It is an honor to name him as an honorary firefighter for his actions that day. He is a humble young boy that does not want to be recognized but is very deserving."

Read the full post from Barrow County Fire and Emergency Services below: